Page 50 of Forbidden Moon
Ben ended the call before the man could ask anything else, desperate for a chance to think. Luna was crazy! How was he supposed to handle all this shit? Jonah hadn’t seen fit to confide in him, obviously in cahoots with Evan, leaving the pack Alpha in the dark! Betrayal. Secrets. Scheming. What else had been going on behind his back?
Eyes aglow, Ben’s anger and frustration boiled to the surface. He couldn’t deal with this, not here, not now. Sharp claws shredded most of his clothing before he stalked out of the office, heading for the packhouse door. His abrupt appearance, half-shifted and snarling, frightened those who were eating their lunch. He left their startled exclamations behind as he burst through the doors, finished the shift, and bolted into the trees.
####
THE DRIVE BACK TO RJ’Splace passed quickly as the men chatted about the market and Jonah’s friends. When Lilly’s name came up, RJ couldn’t help teasing Jonah.
“So, what was all the whispering about? My guess is she wanted all the gory details.”
Jonah laughed, knowing full well RJ wasn’t far off the mark.
“Not exactly. I hadn’t gotten around to telling Lilly about you yet, so it came as a complete surprise. If I know her, she’ll probably invite us over soon so she can grill you. The two of us got off easy today!”
RJ smiled, shaking his head.
“She sounds like the kind of friend everybody wants and few people have. I’m glad we met.”
When they reached the house, Jonah helped RJ take the groceries inside and put them away. They worked well together as if they’d been doing this sort of thing all along. Amid brief touches and smiles, they completed the task in no time. When the bags were empty, RJ led Jonah out the back door to show him the deck and yard.
“You’ll never guess what happened here last night! A wolf showed up in the trees right over there. It was the oddest thing, too. First, I heard him howling while I was in the shower, and then later, he sat there on the grass while I talked to him. Eventually, the neighbors scared him off.”
Jonah’s wolf wanted him to shift then and there, but he knew it was too soon. He’d have to watch his words.
“How unusual! Did he look sick or act strangely?”
“No, though it’s the first wolf I’ve ever seen outside of a zoo. He was a beautiful creature with a clean, shiny coat. He almost acted like a neighbor’s dog checking out the new guy. I hope he comes back again.”
Jonah’s wolf preened, having been called beautiful by his mate.
“Did you get a photo or anything?”
“No. I didn’t even think about it at the time. I didn’t want to do anything to scare him away.”
“Incredible. I’ve never heard a story like that before. You were lucky!”
The conversation ended when Jonah’s stomach began rumbling. He turned red, and RJ apologized.
“I’m sorry. It’s past lunchtime, and I promised to take you out. There’s a little hole-in-the-wall Mexican place here called La Cantina that’s supposed to be good. What do you think?”
“Perfect! Let’s go.”
####
EVAN FOLLOWED BEN’Sscent, confident where it would lead him. He’d been more relieved than upset to know what happened, fortunate to have heard the story from Donna and Lou. They’d returned from their wanderings right before Ben burst through the packhouse doors and disappeared. After questioning their packmates, they came to the house and shared what they knew about Jonah. Something tipped Ben off, and his reaction was both expected and unfortunate.
First, Evan calmed poor little Evie—distraught when Ben’s angry scent reached her. Next, he went to see Jack so they could compare notes. Lastly, he shifted and went looking for his mate, unsure what kind of reception to expect. It relieved Evan to stop all the secrets and manipulation. While it left a bad taste in his mouth, he’d do it all again under similar circumstances.
He didn’t blame Ben for being hurt and confused. His mate was under a great deal of pressure right now, and Jonah’s situation, while not his fault, hadn’t cropped up at the best of times. Except for a few blind spots, Jonah being one of them, his mate was an extraordinary Alpha. No one else could have so deftly handled the various trials Luna sent their way in the last few years. And, as Alpha mate, Evan felt privileged to have been by his side. Herefusedto allow the current crisis to drive a wedge between them.
Evan’s nose located Ben long before he could see him. As suspected, his mate had retreated to one of their favorite spots—the grotto on Schaawe Lake. As Evan cleared the trees, he saw Ben lying in the sun on the rock outcropping. He must have sensed his mate’s presence but neither moved nor acknowledged it. Evan ignored the lack of welcome and jumped into the warm water, swimming towards the jumble of rocks at the grotto’s base.
He scrambled up to a dry spot, thoroughly shook out his coat, and began the trek to the top. Now sitting up, Ben greeted him with sad yips. Evan approached slowly, sniffing the air for clues, and found anger, embarrassment, and an aching heart. Not at all what he expected.
Tail wagging, he rubbed against his hurting mate and came around to wash Ben’s face with energetic licks. When he still didn’t respond, Evan sat down next to him with their sides touching. Determined to wait him out, minutes of silence passed before Ben opened the mind-link.
“I don’t understand. Why didn’t you talk to me? I thought mates shared everything.”
“Normally, yes. Sometimes my duties as a True Elder will prevent it. I did it for Jonah. He was afraid to tell you, and I think you know why.”
